Vehicle cover



Mal-ch23; 1937. E, c, MEL ET AL 2,074,358

VEHICLE COVER Filed Dec. 10, 1935 INVENTOR ECBixel W BY IL. Sznl'lh ATTORNEY atented Mar. 23, 1937 1 1 PATENT OFFICE --VEHIGLE covER Edward. Carl Bix el, West Orange, and Temple Clifford Smith, Westfield, N. J., assignors to American Telephone and Telegraph Company, a corporation of lTew Yorlr Application-December 10, 1935, Serial nojssa'zs 4"c ai s, (01. 296-100) This invention relates to covers. forfvehicles, and more particularly to automotivevehicles such as automobiletrucks. m

.It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a roof .covering for automobile trucks which may be operatedalternately to an extended position to function as afprotective covering or to a closed or telescoped position when not in use. Anotherobject-is to provide a structure of the above character, which-iscapable; of easy-and rapid. manipulation ,toAeither of its positions.

A further object Consists in the provision of a roof'structure of simple andlightweight construction.

ese and "a tijebseasgtii be apparent from the fqllowing description -,when considered in ,conne, 2 M;.il itlithe accompanying drawing in which one embp di me t of the invention is illustrated; 1

Referrin tional side elevation of; the improved-' arrangement showing the sections of :the roofv construc tion .in telescoped position;

'Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of .the roof covering in. its extended position showing it inplace upon an automobile truck. t

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in

which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several figures, an automobile truck is shown at '5 This truck may be of any, conventional type and may be, provided with the usual form of cab,.an d extending rearwardly of the cab are illustrated parallel'side"portions 6,13. These side portionls may be provided with compartments for tools, equipment or the like,

but as the make-up, formation or contour of these side portions forms no part of the invention, fur-. ther illustration is not necessary. .A panel I is disposed on the top of each side portion and may be substantially of the configuration shown. These side panels 1, I are made from any suitable metal and may be integral with or affixed to the side portions 6 as desired. The side portions and associated panels extend forwardly from the end of the truck and abut the rear wall of the cab. The upper portions of the side panels are shown as being slightly inclined and terminating in rolled or tubular flanges 8. These flanges form guide rails for a slidable section 9 of the roof covering, which will be presently described.

A fixed section of the roof covering is shown at H], and which is positioned just behind the truck 55 cab. This section, similarly to the slidable section 9, is preferably of substantially arcuate for-' mation and may be affixed by laterally extending flanges ll to'like flangesprovided on the side panels I, or in any otherdesiredmanner. The fixed section if] is of larger radius than the slidable section 9 so that the latter section may be moved to a telescoped position within the section l0, as will be later referred to in detail. The sections 9 and I0 may be made of any suitable metal or other material desired.

A flexible section l2 lies intermediate the fixed section Illand the movable section 9 and interconnects the adjacent edges of ,these sections. The flexible sectionmay be'made from anysuitable waterproof material, and rubberized fabrichas been found to provide-an efficient covering for this purpose. Tocompensatefor the difference in size between the front or outer and fixed.-

section III and: the rear or'srnaller slidable section 9, the flexible section I2 is soscut that it tapers toward the smaller section 9. The flexible section is affixed to the section 10 bymeans of an arcuate formed clamping rib 13 positioned on the inner side of the section [0 (Fig. l). The front end of the flexible material of section- I2 is wrapped about the rib l3, and suitably spaced rivets 14 pass through the clamping rib l3 and a coinciding outer and reenforcing rib l serve to rigidly clamp the ribs l3 and I5 and hold the front end of the flexible section securely in position. The rear end of the flexible section I2 is afiixed to the slidable section 9 in a manner similar to that described in connection with its attachment to the fixed section Hi. In its attachment to section 9, however, the end of the flexible section I2 is wrapped about the arcuate shaped rib fliwhich .is positioned near the outer edge of the section. 9, while a coinciding rib H positioned near the inner edge of said section functions in this case as the reenforcing rib. Additional ribs l8 and I9 may also be provided on the rear edgeof the slidable section to serve both as a reenforcement and a surface which may grasped to manipulate the slidable section in its movement back and forth.

A tubular member 20 having a longitudinal slot cut therein is suitably afiixed by welding or otherwise to the slidable section 9 and extends along each of its parallel sides. These parallel members 20 are so arranged that when in position they slidably engage the parallel guide rails 8 on the side panels 1. When so mounted the slidable section may be moved back and forth along the guide rails to a telescopic position within the fixed section I0, as shown in Fig. 1, or to an extended pobe readily sition as shown in Fig. 3. In the telescoped position of the sections the flexible section will lie in a position between the adjacent surfaces of the sections 9 and (0. The length of section I0 is such that in the telescoped position of the sections 9 and I2, the section 9 will be completely housed in the section l0 and the flexible section l2 will be drawn taut, as shown.

In the extended'position of the improved cover the sections will provide an enclosure for the truck floor. The adjustment of the cover from its telescoped position to its extended position is accom-:

plished by merely grasping the rear edge or the ribs l8 and is of the slidable-section and pulling the latter section and flexible'section outwardly from the fixed section to their limit of travel. To restore the slidable and fixed sections to their position within the fixed section-the slidable section is pushed back, the tubular member of the .slidable section moving along the guide rails, until the sections 9 and I2 assume-the position shown in: Fig.1. Inthe extendedposition of the cover the flexible section will :be drawn tightly between its associated sections and will. provide with them a waterproof 1 section 9-in its telescoped or extended position, or"

in any other intermediate position of'its' travel.

Fromthe foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described and delineated invention will be ther description. It will be understood that vari'--- ous changes in the size, shape, proportionand minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What isclaimed is:

l. A cover for vehicles, including two rigid sections of similar curvilinear formation, one of which is movable and the other fixed, a flexible section interconnecting the adjacent edges of said rigid sections, a guide rail extending longitudinally on each side of the vehicle, said movable section being movable along said guide rails into two positions, one of which is telescoped with respect to the fixed section, and the other extended from said fixed section, said flexible section being of the same curvilinear formation when said rigid sections are in the extended position and being of the same curvilinear formation, when said flexible section is lying between the adjacent faces of the two rigid sections in telescoped position with its surfaces reversed.

2. A cover for vehicles, including a pair of rigid sections of similar curvilinear formation, a guide rail extending longitudinally on each side of the apparent to those skilled in the art without fur sume a curvilinear formation similar to that of the fixed'zsection and the slidable section in the telescoped position and inthe extended position of the latter section,isaidfiexlble section lying taut between. thaadjacent surfaces of the rigid sections when-intelescoped'. position and with its surfaces reversed, said flexible section in extended position lying taut between the'adjacent edges of the fixed section and. slidable section with its surfaces in normal position, and forming therewith a cover 1 forthe vehicle;

3. A cover? fonvehicles', including a pair'ofirigi'dsections of similar curvilinear"- formation, guiderails'extendinglongitudinally on each side of the vehicle, one ofsaid sections being afiixed forwardly of the vehicle,"and the other section-having its ex-- tremities' slidably attached to and 'ad'apted' I tomove in an'upi-ight position along the guiderails' of the vehicle" from a= telescopedposition within the forward section' toanextended position at the rear of the=vehicle', anda flexiblesection arranged to interconnect adjacent edges 'oftheo'igid sections and'to partake'rofthe movement of the slid able section, so that the flexible section will as=- sume-acurvilinearformation-similar t'o'that'ofthe fixed section=and=theslidablesection-in the telescoped position-and in-the extended position of'the' latter section, said flexibIe-sectiOn'Iyingtautbe tween the adjacent surfaces of the rigid'sections' when in telescope'd position and with itssurfaces reversed, said flexible section in extended position lying taut between the'adjacent edgesofthe-fixed" section and slidable section with" its-'surfacesin normal" position," and formingtherewith a cover for the vehicle, and means for locking the slidable section in each of its positions;

4. The combination of a: vehicle having side' panels, guide rails extending longitudinallyof said panels, a cover for said vehicle, including'two rigid sectionsof' similar formation, one of-said'sections being fixed at the forward portion of the vehicle and the second section being movable in an upright position along said guide rails between a telescoped position within. the fixed section and an extended position at the rear of the vehicle and. a flexible section interconnecting adjacent edges of the rigid sections and being disposed between 

